Ethanol hypersensitivity and olfactory discrimination defect in mice lacking a homolog of Drosophila neuralized.

Ruan, Y; Tecott, L; Jiang, M M; Jan, L Y; Jan, Y N · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2001

other · Level V

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Abstract

Neurogenic genes in the Notch receptor-mediated signaling pathway play important roles in neuronal cell fate specification as well as neuronal differentiation. The Drosophila neuralized gene is one of the neurogenic genes. We have cloned a mouse homolog of Drosophila neuralized, m-neu1, and found that the m-neu1 transcript is expressed in differentiated neurons. Mice deficient for m-neu1 are viable and morphologically normal, but exhibit specific defects in olfactory discrimination and hypersensitivity to ethanol. These findings reveal an essential role of m-neu1 in ensuring proper processing of certain information in the adult brain.

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